Why being in debt could be the reason you’re single

Sick of questioning why you’re single? The first place to look could be your finances as being in debt is considered a dump-able offence by nearly a third of daters.

Nearly one in three people would consider breaking up with something they were dating if they discovered they were in a lot of debt, according to a study by free credit rating and scoring site Noodle.

The survey of nearly 900 single people found that one in 20 would ‘definitely’ break up with someone they were dating if they discovered they had bad debts, and a further 24% said they ‘possibly’ would.

Just one in five said that they definitely wouldn’t dump someone for being in a lot of debt.

When to find out about a partner's finances

But when will you find out if the person you’re dating has debt or bad credit?

The survey found that more than two-fifths of people would want to know about bad credit rating when a relationship gets serious, but a tenth say it wouldn't be an issue till they moved in.

However, a bad credit rating can’t stay hidden forever; particularly you’re likely to be making significant joint financial decisions where a bad credit rating on one side could affect purchases such as a house, a new car or even a mobile phone contract. Having linked accounts can affect your credit rating with banks even after a relationship ends, potentially resulting in numerous issues if a partner or ex-partner has hidden debt or other issues, such as CCJs (County court judgments for debt).

When would you tell a partner about your debt?

Jacqueline Dewey, managing director of Noddle says that things like joint bank accounts, mortgages, etc, need to be taken into consideration if your partner has bad credit, as it could affect you later.

It's important that we discuss things like this in our relationships because it could impact both the relationship and financial decisions. She says that they're calling for full financial disclosure in relationships.

Hiding debts is common practice

More than half of Brits in relationships aren't aware of partner's debts, in fact, they believe they don't have any when in reality the average UK house owes close to £10,000.

Married couples even keep secrets from their other half when it comes to finances, with information about their pay often not getting discussed.

How to discuss finances with your partner

For people considering discussing finances with their partner, Noddle has created the following tips:

Full financial disclosure starts by talking: if you’ve got debts or past issues, it’s much better out in the open than keeping it a secret

Pick your moment to have the conversation: when you’ve both got time to discuss it and aren’t distracted

Stick to the topic: if your partner reveals financial issues, don’t use it as an excuse to bring up other perceived failings

Be honest: don’t be tempted to sugarcoat the topic or only mention a partial picture

Ensure you’re informed about your own finances: check your credit score using www.noddle.co.uk to see whether it might affect any financial decisions